糖心传媒

Last month鈥檚 Budget was never going to be a 鈥榤ake or break鈥� moment for the government, according to James Nation, the former Treasury special advisor to Rishi Sunak.

It was designed to avoid anything resembling the mini-Budget shock of 2022, but it will also fail to boost Labour鈥檚 low poll numbers, he said on the .

It means the rumours about a plot to oust Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves will only grow louder in January.

See here for our full Budget reaction and the implications for the residential property market.

James also unpicks the chaotic build-up to this year鈥檚 announcement, the credibility of back-loaded tax rises and the political and practical risks behind the Mansion Tax.

鈥淭his is akin to what we've got on electric vehicles, which is the Treasury basically setting up a new tax that they can build on and develop in the future. It is no surprise to me that we have ended up with an option like this,鈥� he said.

If the past few months have felt like a never-ending round of 鈥榞uess the tax rise鈥�, next year we might be playing a game of 鈥榞uess the Chancellor鈥�.

Any new government would need to tread a delicate path as it appeals to both Green and Reform voters, while not upsetting financial markets, James says.

He also explains why the government isn鈥檛 overly-concerned about the inflationary implications of raising rental income tax, whether the Tory plan to scrap stamp duty has legs, and the tricky politics around introducing a UK investor visa for wealthy individuals.